Richmond, Indiana’s technical melodic death metal powerhouse CARRION VAEL returns with a vengeance with the release of their haunting new single “1912,” a fresh glimpse into their fifth studio album, Slay Utterly, arriving January 16, 2026 through Unique Leader Records.
Recorded across three sessions at The Armory Studios with engineers Jack Daniels and Elisha Mullins and mastered by Jeff Dunne, Slay Utterly is a concept-driven exploration of infamous murderers, slashers, and violent historical figures. Each track delivers a vivid depiction of humanity’s darkest corners through CARRION VAEL’s blend of technical precision, melodic intensity, and razor-edged aggression.
“1912” stands among the band’s most stylistically expansive works to date. Nearly theatrical in its opening moments, the song broadens and intensifies as it progresses, guiding the listener through shifting moods and escalating tension. The band notes that this track is “the most vast when it comes to styles” and was crafted to make the listener feel every stage of its growth.
Lyrically, “1912” centers on the still-unsolved Villisca axe murders, which shook the small town of Villisca, Iowa on a sweltering June night in 1912. Two adults and six children were brutally killed as they slept. The assailant moved silently through the home, leaving no survivors and vanishing without a trace. More than a century later, the case remains open to speculation, and the song explores several of the most discussed theories, from roving train-hopping sociopaths to disgruntled business associates to evangelical madmen. The truth remains unknown.
With “1912,” CARRION VAEL transforms one of America’s most chilling mysteries into a dynamic and emotionally charged melodic death metal narrative, setting the tone for the scope and ambition of Slay Utterly.
About CARRION VALE:
In 2017, brutal melodic death metal storytellers CARRION VAEL set out on a mission to understand disturbing events that may baffle the sane. Each album and each song explores an aspect of true crime history, often focusing on the stories of individual serial killers and their victims. Though this conceptual focus underpins CARRION VAEL's songwriting, they seek to fully utilize all of their skills and talents to ensure that each song develops the sound it needs to tell its story. The band released their first album, Resurrection of the Doomed, independently in 2017, then signed with HPGD Records and released their 2020 follow-up, God Killer. Subsequently, the band signed with Unique Leader Records and released Abhorrent Obsessions (2022) and Cannibals Anonymous (2024).
With their fifth album, Slay Utterly, on the horizon, CARRION VAEL are set to continue this journey into the monstrous side of the human psyche. Vicious, but surprisingly poignant in just the right dose, Slay Utterly presents an anthology of serial killer stories from significant points in history. The album is certain to enthrall fans of horror, history, and true crime with its vivid portrayals of the minds of both murderers and victims.
CARRION VALE is:
Travis Lawson Purcell - Vocals
Alex Arford - Bass
Trenton Limburg - Guitar
Ryan Kurder - Guitar
Matt Behner - Drums
